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Most Dependable Cars
Research firm J.D. Power has been producing an annual U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study for more than 30 years — a study that automakers take seriously and consumers recognize and value. The 2023 study examines problems experienced in the last 12 months by original owners of 2020 model-year vehicles, with overall dependability determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles — also known as PP100. A lower score indicates higher dependability. What follows are the most dependable cars as determined by J.D. Power.
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Mass Market vs. Premium
Mass market brands continue to lead the industry with 182 PP100 – 23 PP100 lower than premium brands, which represents the widest gap between the two since the study’s introduction 34 years ago. The primary reason for this variance? Issues with advanced technologies that tend to be more prevalent in premium models. “It is typical in the automotive industry to roll out concepts and features by putting them in premium vehicles first,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power.
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Infotainment Problematic
Of the nine major vehicle categories covered in the study, infotainment remains a problem spot. With an average of 49.9 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), infotainment issues are twice as common as the next highest category. Voice recognition, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay remain the most problematic issues. Hanley also noted “if the Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity trend continues, this area could take over the least-coveted top spot for problems in long-term durability.”
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Most Dependable Vehicle Overall — Lexus RX and Toyota C-HR (tie)
After two years as the most dependable model, the Porsche 911 gets unseated by two Toyota products: the Lexus RX and Toyota C-HR. Both vehicles scored a low 111 PP100, with improvements in almost all categories compared to the previous year’s models.
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Highest-Ranked Nameplate — Lexus
With just 133 PP100, Lexus ranks as the most dependable brand in America. Toyota’s luxury marque is followed by Genesis, Kia (the top mainstream manufacturer), Buick and Chevrolet. Numbers for Ram, Volvo and Nissan demonstrated the most significant improvement versus a year earlier.
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Tesla Still Ineligible
J.D. Power included Tesla in its overall dependability calculations this year for the first time. The American electric car company scored 242 PP100, which would put it in the bottom five. However, Tesla does not allow J.D. Power to access its owner information in states where that permission is required by law, so Tesla vehicles remain ineligible for awards.
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Compact Car — Kia Forte
The Kia Forte entered 2020 as the highest-quality compact car in the J.D Power 2020 U.S. Initial Quality Study. The 2020 Kia Forte is motivated by a 2.0-liter 147-horsepower engine teamed with a 6-speed manual gearbox; the base-level Forte FE is U.S. EPA rated at an impressive 37 mpg on the highway. Standard equipment on this small sedan includes air-conditioning, an 8.0-inch touchscreen display, a rearview camera with dynamic parking guide, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity, forward collision avoidance, as well as lane departure and driver attention warning systems.
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Compact Sporty Car – MINI Cooper
Another initial quality winner from 2020, the MINI Cooper had been recently updated with a new logo, new alloy wheels, and rear LED lights with a Union Jack design. A rearview camera and park-distance control are standard across the MINI lineup. The MINI Cooper is great fun with its base-level turbocharged 3-cylinder engine; however, the top-level MINI Cooper John Cooper Works takes that small package and turns up the heat with more power and several performance upgrades. MINI introduced its first regular production electric vehicle in 2020, the Cooper SE with an EPA combined fuel economy rating of 108 MPGe and a range of 110 miles.
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Compact Premium Car — BMW 4 Series
BMW updated the 4 Series for the 2018 model year, and those updates carried through to 2020. Updates included standard bi-LED headlights with optional adaptive full-LED headlights, LED fog lights, LED taillights, a new lower front air intake, a new rear apron, and new wheel designs. The 430i is powered by the TwinPower Turbo 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 248 horsepower, while the 440i gets a 320-horsepower TwinPower Turbo 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder unit. Both offer a standard 8-speed sport automatic transmission. BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive is optional.
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Midsize Car — Kia Optima
The Optima is a stylish midsize sedan refreshed for the 2018 model year. As is the case with most Kias, the Optima came well equipped with LED running lights, alloy wheels, an 8-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a suite of advanced driver-assistance features. Three engine options were available, including a powerful turbocharged 4-cylinder engine producing 245 horsepower. The 2020 model year was the last for the Kia Optima, which was replaced by the K5 the following year.
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Small SUV — Toyota C-HR
The C-HR, or Coupe High-Rider, was originally going to be a Scion before Toyota discontinued the youth-oriented brand and brought this small crossover into the fold. Part of a new trend of inexpensive crossovers without all-wheel drive, the front-wheel-drive C-HR is powered by a 2.0-liter engine producing 144 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque, teamed with a continuously variable transmission. For the 2020 model year, the C-HR received updated front styling, new wheel designs, and the addition of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard equipment. All trim levels of the C-HR are equipped with Toyota Safety Sense P, which includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, and full-speed range adaptive cruise control.
Small Premium SUV — BMW X2
BMW introduced the X2 crossover in 2018 as the newest addition to its growing lineup of X model crossovers. Although it shares the same wheelbase as the X1, the X2 is the smallest BMW model at 3.2 inches shorter and 2.8 inches lower than the X1. The X2 has distinct styling with a bold kidney grille, a high beltline, standard LED headlights, black lower body trim, and BMW Roundel emblems on the C-pillars. The X2 is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine producing 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, combined with an 8-speed Steptronic transmission. The X2 is available with BMW xDrive that distributes torque between the front and rear axles as needed.
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Compact SUV — Kia Sportage
Kia’s compact crossover SUV, the Sportage has been one of the Korean automaker’s top-selling models in the U.S. market for many years, and it received updates for the 2020 model year. The redesigned Sportage has a more aggressive exterior, including new headlights with available LED turn indicators, redesigned projector-beam fog lights, available LED headlights with available LED fog lights, as well as a new grille, front bumper and wheel designs. At the rear, the 2020 Sportage features new taillight trim, rear bumper, and exhaust tip designs.
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Compact Premium SUV — Lexus NX
Lexus joined the burgeoning compact luxury SUV segment when it introduced the NX for the 2015 model year. The NX was updated a few years later with fresh styling including a revised grille, larger fog light openings and additional chrome accents. Toyota’s longtime luxury brand offers two powertrains for the NX: a turbocharged inline-four with 235 horsepower motivates the NX300, or for a more efficient option, the NX300h hybrid delivers 195 horsepower as well as an EPA rating of 31 mpg combined. For 2020 Lexus added Android Auto to the Lexus multimedia system as well as upgraded safety features.
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Midsize SUV — Chevrolet Blazer
The Blazer was added to the Chevrolet lineup in 2019, marking the return of a storied name from one of the original truck-based SUVs that debuted 50 years ago. Unlike the original boxy design, the new Blazer is a bold, sporty midsize crossover with a wide stance, sleek headlights, a high beltline and dual exhaust. Available as the L, Blazer, RS, and Premier, the Blazer comes well equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and dual-zone climate control. The standard engine is a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder unit producing 193 horsepower and 188 lb-ft of torque. A 3.6-liter V6 is standard for RS and Premier and optional for Blazer, making 308 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque.
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Midsize Premium SUV — Lexus RX
One of the first luxury crossovers when it debuted as a 1998 model, the RX introduced the idea of combining the utility of an SUV with the ride and comfort of a luxury sedan. As the most popular model in the Lexus lineup, the RX is available as the RX 350 or the RX 450h — the latter featuring a powerful yet fuel-efficient hybrid powertrain. Lexus added new tech for the 2020 model year: the RX received Android Auto connectivity to go with the already available Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa integration.
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Upper Midsize SUV – Toyota Highlander
In 2001 the Toyota Highlander debuted as one of the first midsize crossovers with unibody construction and 4-wheel independent suspension for a more carlike ride than its truck-based competitors. Twenty years later, Toyota rolled out the fourth-generation Highlander for the 2020 model year. The 2020 Highlander is based on a new vehicle platform called Toyota New Global Architecture, which uses high-strength steel for a stiffer unibody structure that improves comfort and safety. The redesigned 2020 Toyota Highlander looks bolder than the outgoing model thanks to a raised hood, wider fenders, a black grille, and standard LED headlights on all trim levels. The 2020 Toyota Highlander comes in five trim levels: L, LE, XLE, Limited, and Platinum. A hybrid version is offered on all trims except the L.
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Upper Midsize Premium SUV – BMW X5
As BMW’s first Sports Activity Vehicle, the X5 debuted for the 2000 model year and has evolved over the decades into one of North America’s most popular luxury SUVs. The fourth-generation X5 launched for the 2019 model year as the X5 xDrive40i and the xDrive50i. Powered by two new TwinPower turbocharged engines, the xDrive40i receives a 335-horsepower 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine, and the xDrive50i features a 456-horsepower 4.4-liter V8 engine — both combined with an 8-speed Steptronic transmission and xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive.
Minivan — Toyota Sienna
As one of the top-selling minivans on the U.S. market, the Sienna received a slight face-lift for the 2018 model year. More importantly, the automaker added the Toyota Safety Sense P suite of high-tech safety features as standard equipment. Powering Sienna at that time was a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 296 horsepower, and it was the only minivan available with all-wheel drive. The van boasts several innovative features including Driver Easy Speak, which uses the microphone from the voice-command multimedia system to broadcast to the audio system’s rear speakers. Sienna is also available with a Blu-ray entertainment system featuring a 16.4-inch display.
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Large SUV — Chevrolet Tahoe
There aren’t many vehicles on the road that compete with the Chevrolet Tahoe. With seating for up to nine occupants, plenty of cargo capacity, the capability to tow more than 8,500 pounds, as well as 9 inches of ground clearance for off-road adventures, the Tahoe is one of the most capable SUVs on the road. Available with 2WD or 4WD, Tahoe can be equipped with a suite of safety features as well as 4G LTE connectivity with a Wi-Fi hotspot, wireless phone charging, power-folding second- and third-row seats, an 8-inch color touchscreen, and multiple USB ports.
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Midsize Pickup — Toyota Tacoma
Consistently one of the more popular trucks in America, the Tacoma had its last complete redesign for the 2016 model year, which gave the truck a more aggressive look, a new V6 engine, a smoother ride and stellar off-road capability. Tacoma is available in several configurations with two cab styles, two bed lengths, five trim levels and a choice of 2WD or 4WD. For 2020 the Tacoma received a new grille and wheel designs for most trim levels, as well as an upgraded audio system with a larger touchscreen and Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa compatibility.
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Large Light-Duty Pickup — GMC Sierra 1500
Like its Chevrolet Silverado sibling, a completely new Sierra pickup rolled out for the 2019 model year. Larger in practically every dimension, the Sierra boasts a range of comfort, convenience and safety features — one standout is the truck’s MultiPro Tailgate, which offers six positions for easier loading; it can also be used as a standing workstation. A range of engine/transmission options is available, including a new 2.7-liter turbo and a new turbodiesel powertrain.
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Large Heavy-Duty Pickup — Chevrolet Silverado HD
Chevrolet introduced an all-new Silverado HD for the 2020 model year with bold new styling, a range of updated features and more capability than ever. Longer, wider, and taller than its predecessor, Silverado HD is available in several trim and cab configurations ranging from the basic Work Truck to the luxurious High Country. Two powerful engines are available for the Silverado HD: a 401-horsepower 6.6-liter V8 and a Duramax 6.6-liter turbodiesel — the latter generating 445 horsepower and 910 lb-ft of torque. That big torque number increases the maximum towing capacity to an incredible 35,500 pounds. The diesel is teamed with an all-new 10-speed automatic transmission.
